Private hospital doctors in Bengal start cease work for 48 hours in support of fasting junior doctors
The Hindu
Senior doctors in West Bengal support junior doctors' fast-until-death protest against colleague's rape and murder, demanding justice.
Senior doctors from private hospitals across West Bengal started a 48-hour cease-work protest and 12-hour symbolic hunger strike on Monday (October 14, 2024) to mark their support for the junior doctors’ fast-until-death which has continued for the last 9 days.
The junior doctors are protesting against the rape and murder of their female colleague at the R.G. Kar hospital. Four junior doctors were admitted to the hospital after they fell sick during the fast unto death.
Doctors from premium private hospitals like Apollo, Manipal, Woodlands, Peerless, and Fortis are among those who have joined in the protests since 6 a.m. on Monday. Many hospitals in Kolkata and other districts have closed down all non-emergency services for the next two days. The strike was called by the Federation of Medical Associations (FeMA) after they gave an “ultimate appeal” to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Dr. Bhaskar Pal, a senior doctor at a private hospital in the city, requested Chief Secretary Manoj Pant to not play hide-and-seek about the protests and listen to the doctors’ justified demands. “He (Mr. Pant) should come to the protest site and see the condition of the fasting junior doctors. Do not force us to a point that we have to participate in a pen-down movement,” he said.
Dr. M. S. Purkait, Medical Superintendent of Techno India DAMA Hospital in Kolkata, said, “There has been no OPDs or routine surgeries. Emergency services like ER/ICU/OT are open 24/7.”
Dr. Udita Nag, a protesting doctor from Manipal Hospital in Mukundapur, Kolkata, said that as the fasting junior doctors have laid their life for a good cause, the senior doctors are all equally involved with the protests. “State administration seems to have turned a deaf ear towards the very justified 10 demands. some of our young colleagues have already been hospitalised... In light of this, the Emergency medics would want to extend our voices in stating that however we are equally involved with this protest with the same fierceness and zeal and fully support the pen down of non-emergency services, we are also responsibly inclined towards our profession and duties,” Dr. Nag said.
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